Country Bean
Country Bean
Scientific name: Lablab purpureus L.
English name: Bean
Local name: ‘Sheem’
Taxonomic position According to Cronquist (1981)
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class :Magnoliopsida
Subclass : Rosidae
Order : Fabales
Family : Fabacaeae
Genus : Lablab
Species : L. purpureus
Botanical Description of Country Bean
Habit: Herbaceous annual twiner (vine).
Root: Tap root system
Stem: Aerial, sinistrul twiner, cylindrical, green, glabrous.
Leaf: Alternate, compound, trifoliate, petiolate, pulvinate
Inflorescence: Axillary raceme, pedunculate raceme, up to 40 cm long.
Flower: Complete, papilanaceous, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic
Calyx: Sepal 5, gamosepalous, aestivation valvate.
Corolla: petal 5, polypetalous, aestivation vexillary, one standard, two wing and two keel.
Androecium: Stamen 10, diadelphous (9)+1.
Gynoecium: Carpel one, ovary superior, placentation marginal
Fruit: pod, linear to narrowly oblong, 4-6 seeded
Seed: non-endospermic, ellipsoid or oblong
Economic uses/values/harmful aspects: Widely cultivated for vegetable.
Table 1. Country Bean Variety Developed by BASMRAU
| Variety name with year of release | Key feature | Photo |
| IPSA seem 1 Released in 1991 | High yielding, year round |  |
| IPSA seem 2 Released in 1991 | High yielding, year round |  |
Is Lablab (Seem) seed dangerous to eat? I grew up eating Seem in Bangladesh, and love it. Now I live in USA and found Seem beans (split seed) in Indian Grocery Store. However, Google says it can be toxic to eat if not boiled and the boiled water not drained a couple of times. Please help explain this toxicity part, and its consumptions by humans for centuries. Thanks.
Wahid Choudhury
Wahidchoudhury7@Gmail.com
Dear Wahid Choudhury,
Thanks for your query! It is better to eat boiled seeds in various ways like curry. Green or fresh seeds may cause indigestion and better to avoid.